KaKao

- Declaring 2026 as the first year of “growth with a direction” after completing a period of consolidation

- Announcement of a new leap forward built on two pillars: “Human-Centric AI” and “Global Fandom OS”

- Chair Shina Chung: “AI is a ‘creative multiplier’ that elevates individual capability. It’s time for bold challenges”

 

[January 2, 2026] The Kakao Group has declared that 2026 would mark the end of its “time of condensation” and the official beginning of a new phase of “directional growth.” Since Shina Chung assumed the role of Chair of the CA Consultative Body in early 2024, the Kakao Group has focused on strengthening its fundamentals and reinforcing its core capabilities. The group plans to build on that foundation in the new year by elevating AI and global fandom as key new growth engines.

 

“Last year was a time of condensation during which we strengthened our foundations, refined our systems, and brought the group’s capabilities together around key centers. Now is the time to shift gears toward growth, powered by the energy we have condensed,” Chung reflected in her New Year’s address on January 2.

 

The Kakao Group has carried out intensive governance efficiency reforms across the organization over the past two years. As a result, the number of affiliates has been reduced from 147 at one point to 94 as of end of last year. The group also achieved record-breaking performance for two consecutive quarters in Q2 and Q3 of 2025, securing financial stability. 

 

The Kakao Group identified two core pillars that will drive growth in 2026: Human-Centric AI and Global Fandom Operating System (OS).

 

As the first pillar, Human-Centric AI aims to maximize Kakao’s unique strength in understanding the daily lives, relationships, and contexts of Kakao's 50 million users. Chung emphasized that AI will evolve beyond a simple command-execution tool into Agentic AI that understands the intentions and situations of users and proactively connects them to their next actions. To support this vision, the Kakao Group plans to advance privacy-protecting on-device AI technologies further.

 

To strengthen the execution of its AI strategy, the group will internalize B2C services and core technologies while flexibly expanding infrastructure requiring large-scale investment through external partnerships. This approach is designed to secure both efficiency and scalability for sustainable growth.

 

The second growth pillar is a Global Fandom OS that extends the Kakao Group’s reach worldwide. By combining its full-stack assets including super IP, platforms, and online-to-offline interfaces, the group aims to build a global fandom ecosystem where fans across the world can communicate and create value together.

 

Connecting these two growth pillars and expanding user value will be Web3, which will serve as a trusted network linking diverse activities securely and transparently from AI agent-based reservations and payments to rewards for fan participation. This vision ultimately ties into the Kakao Group’s broader concept of Next Finance.

 

Chung defined 2026 as the year when another 15 years of Kakao begins, urging employees not to settle for past success formulas. “Let’s use AI as a ‘creative multiplier’ that amplifies our individual capabilities and ideas, and take on bold challenges where one plus one becomes more than two. The growth we create will go beyond financial performance and become a journey that affirms the pride and social responsibility of a Korean IT company. Let’s move beyond the waves of change and toward higher ground and a broader world,” she stressed. (E.O.D.)